[Harp-L] Re: Michalek Blues

[Dave Murray <dmurray777@xxxxxxx>]

It's been a while since I've posted anything here but the talk about
Chris got my attention. I live in Phoenix and used to go listen to him play.

Perhaps it's because I'm not a big fish in the small harp player pond,
but I found him to be a nice guy and heard him say good things about
other harmonica players, in contrast to his internet persona. He let
people get on stage with him to play, gave them space and generally
tried to make them sound good. He showed me how to tweak reeds and even
gave me a mic for no reason at all. I liked him. But as my wife says,
"That doesn't count honey, you like everyone" so who knows.

I thought he seemed insecure as "the fat Jew" (his words). I thought the
Buddha reference was to his shape. My wife sometime pats my fat belly
and jokes "Buddha" and my wife and I are both actually Buddhists. I
don't know where he was really coming from with that. We never discussed
religion or politics.

His lack of success as a musician may have been that he wanted "his
band" to be his band, but I only remember him having a vocalist on stage
once when I was there. People like vocals and not many musicians seem to
make it without them.

How do you make it in the music business? I heard him play a wonderful
gig with Jason Ricci at the Rhythm Room to a near empty bar on a
weeknight. I took a friend from Georgia and his comment was that he
really liked it but he had never heard the harp so "out front." Most
people think of harp players as side men. If you aren't a harmonica
player/enthusiast most people don't think much about the harp, or you.

There are some successful harmonica musicians posting here. As much as
you "might" (I could be wrong) like to think that it's all about your
virtuosity, I suspect that you've got something else going on along with
that. Anyone willing to say what else it takes?

Anyway, I miss Chris. We obviously all see others through our own lens
and didn't all know the same man. Rest in peace harmonica man.

Dave Murray